Pray for America

Wise Words from Williams By Valentine Williams

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Many years ago the Prophet Jeremiah spoke these words, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)Many hundred years later Jesus said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders …” (Matthew 15:19). There is no way man displays the wickedness of his heart like his cruelty to his fellow man. From the murder of the DA and his wife, along with an assistant DA in Texas, to the bombings at the site of the Boston Marathon, the senseless killing and carnage goes on. What are we to make of these events? We can shrug our shoulders and say that is just life. Or we can give it some thought and wonder if in the search and pursuit of other things we have wittingly or unwittingly opened the door to these behaviors. Sometimes it’s the wrong kind of indoctrination that fans the flames of hatred or let us display such atrocious behavior towards one another. There are people who are sick, emotionally, mentally and otherwise and they need help.We can lay blame in a lot of areas and we are very good at doing that. But as tough and painful as it may be what about us asking ourselves if in some small way we can do something to curb the violence that is destroying lives, families and communities. For example, will we stop the violent, conflict-laden language that is so rampant on talk shows and other broadcast programs?Violence breeds best in a climate of violence. I can’t lay the blame for what has been happening on any one thing, so don’t be simplistic and believe I am attributing these crimes to talk shows. The point is, do you think our society especially the very visible media has become too conflict laden, divisive and violent in its content and commentary and we need to tone it down a little? We cannot legislate civility neither can legislation change men’s heart, but we can make an effort to be a kinder, gentler society as the first President Bush once said. Since then we have become harsher and less kind to each other especially in politics and in the news media.What is more important than the safety of our children and family? How many vigils do we have to attend, how many funerals, how much pain must we go through before we realize that united we stand but divided we fall? When all is said and done, those of us who believe in prayer must pin our hopes more than ever before on what we know can be accomplished when we pray. Even when politicians are at their best all working together for the good of the people there is just so much they can do and no more. This is not such a time; therefore we have to pray even more.We have to pray for our leaders and that God would raise up someone who would preach peace not poison, kindness not unkindness, love not war or hatred, and compassion and caring for another.

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